Method and apparatus for preparing bobbins



April 10, 1962 s. FURST METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING BOBBINS Filed Sept. 17, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

April 10, 1962 s. FURST 3,029,031

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING BOBBINS Filed Sept. 17, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR April 10, 1962 s. FURST 3,029,031

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING BOBBINS Filed Sept. 17, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

April 10, 1962 s. FURST 3,029,031

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING BOBBINS Filed Sept. 17, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 i fig. 8

Y Y Y INVENTOR.

April 10, 1962 s. FURST 3,029,031

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING BOBBINS Filed Sept. 17, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fly. I0 55 INVENTOR. Lu

United States Patent fifice 3,029,031 Patented Apr. 10, 1962 METHOD AND APPARATUS FDR PREPARING ROBBINS Stefan Fiirst, Monchen-Gladhach, Germany, assignor to Walter Reinei's, Monchen-Gladbach, Germany Filed Sept. 17, 1957, Ser. No. 684,597 Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 22, 1956 laims. (Cl. 242-356) My invention relates to the preparation of coiled yarn packages for subsequent use in weaving, spinning or other textile manufacturing. The packages may comprise yarn coils, such as shuttle bobbins or Warp coils, to be used as woof or warp in weaving. They may also comprise pirns, cops and other yarn packages employed for spin ning or re-winding operations. These are all hereinafter referred to, generally, as bobbins.

In the preparation of such bobbins, it is desirable to facilitate the further fabricatory use by having the freely exposed end or starting end of the coiled-up yarn located at a given spot of the bobbin. For an explanation of the utility of this reserve winding coil, forming the starting end at the tip of the bobbin core, reference is made to the copending applications of W. Reiners and S. Fiirst, Serial No. 640,166, filed February 14, 1957, now issued as Patent No. 2,936,130, and of S. Fiirst, Serial No. 640,- 137, filed February 14, 1957. The reserve winding coil is useful in the yarn seizing and sensing operations.

It is an object of my invention to improve the preparatory processing as well as the resulting bobbins, to provide a more favorable and more reliable placing or winding of the yarn end onto the body or core of the bobbin to thereby eliminate trouble in the further fabrication.

To this end, and in accordance with my invention, I proceed as follows. After the bobbin to be prepared is completely wound, and after the yarn is severed from the yarn supply, I first unwind the freely exposed yarn end from the wound bobbin up to a given or predetermined short length, and then re-wind the yarn end anew on a predetermined place of the bobbin, preferably at the tip of the bobbin core.

According to one of the more specific features of my invention, the just-mentioned unwinding and re-winding operations of the yarn end are effected while the bobbin is kept in the same position it occupied during the preceding winding operation of the main body of yarn thereonto. However, in a modification of the invention the bobbin may be subjected to the above-mentioned addi tional coiling operations after it has left the winding-up position proper.

When forming the reserve winding by first unwinding and then re-winding the yarn end, it is preferable to make provision that the winding formed by the re-wound end comprises a predetermined number of turns, or that the re-wound end of the yarn possesses a given length. For this purpose the wound-off yarn end is shortened to a given protruding length. Alternatively, the winding-up operation of the yarn end can be limited to a given number of turns and, after the bobbin has performed the corresponding predetermined number of rotations, any still protruding end is severed. An automatic measuring device which measures or predetermines the length of the wind-ott yarn can be employed, or a device which limits the length of the wound-off yarn in dependence upon the number of turns Wound-up in the reserve winding. However, all of this may be done manually.

When seeking the yarn end for performing the abovedescribed unwinding and re-winding operations, difficulties may be encountered if the last portion of the yarn end on the previously wound bobbin does not maintain a uniform direction but changes its direction, thus forming a loop or hood, in shape.

Therefore, according to an- I other feature of the invention, it is preferable, prior to the unwinding operation, to turn the bobbin a few rotations in the direction of the winding-up operation, as previously eliectuated. In this manner the yarn end can be located in an always uniform direction, by brushing or wiping the bobbin surface or applying a suction air screen. The brushing of the yarn end can be effected with the aid of brushes or similar wiping members.

Aside from, or in addition to, the above-mentioned additional coiling operation it is preferable, in many cases, to subject the bobbins to a checking operation to determine whether the operation forming the additional or reserve winding has produced the desired result. This checking operation may simultaneously serve to separate the bobbins having a normal reserve winding from those whose reserve winding is incomplete, or entirely missing, and to eliminate or remove the bobbins that are not satisfactory. Conventional devices for sensing thread break or exhaustion of yarn supply can also be used.

The additional winding operation, and, as the case may be, also the checking operation, may be performed at the original winding-up location or station of the bobbin, or at locations which are directly adjacent to the coiling location, or in the coil winding machine. For example, a bobbin-winding machine having a bob-birrcarrying turret can be employed, such as described in the copending applications of W. Reiners, Serial No. 675,758, filed August l, 1957 and of S. Fiirst, Serial No. 675,677, filed August 1, 1957, on Automatic Winding Machines both now abandoned and replaced respectively by continuation-in-part applications Serial No. 705,375 and Serial No. 704,983.

The individual winding stations of the bobbin winding machine may be provided with a yarn seizing and yarn tying device, as described in said applications Serial Nos. 640,166 and 640,137. Or the winding machine may employ such devices common to several winding stations, as described in said applications Serial Nos. 675,758 and 675,677. According to another feature of my invention, these yarn seizing and tying devices may also be utilized for performing the above-mentioned additional unwinding and re-winding operations. For this purpose it sufiices to place the yarn tying device and the yarn seeking or take-off device temporarily out of operation relative to the incoming yarn, so that only the seeking device for the yarn end of the take-up coil or bobbin acts upon the takeup bobbin while correspondingly guiding the yarn during winding-off and winding-up operations. For this purpose an additional yarn guide may be provided, or the takeoff member may be so designed that the yarn, when again running onto the bobbin, is held always at the same spot. The yarn guide in this case can be combined with a severing member, for instance a cutter or scissors.

The seeking and seizing of the yarn end is preferably effected by means of a stream of suction air, as described in the above-mentioned applications. The bobbin, while being rotated, is moved along a suction nozzle adapted to the yarn position. During the first above-mentioned winding-up operation, the yarn seized by the suction air enters wholly or partly into the nozzle depending upon the position of the yarn end; and the yarn end is thereafter pulled out of the nozzle during the winding-up operation. During the subsequent winding-0d operation, the bobbin is rotated in the reverse direction and the yarn end is again entrained by the air stream entering into the nozzle, so that the yarn end is pulled into the suction air channel of the nozzle to an extent that depends upon the length of the yarn end available. To obtain the correct length, the suction air channel may be made adjustable in position, by giving it the design or form of a telescope or slidingtrombone linkage. At a given spot of such a suction air channel a cutter may be located which, from time to time,

severs the end projecting beyond the so adjusted length. This cut-off end then follows the suction air stream into a collecting container, the yarn end located and held in the nozzle end being given a definite length by the cutting operation.

The foregoing and more specific objects, advantages and features of my invention, which features are set forth with particularity in the claims annexed hereto, will be more fully understood from the following description of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates, schematically, at positions a, b and c, bobbins in three respectively different operating conditions or phases, which correspond to three sequential operating steps carried out according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical, schematic view of a winding machine that is provided with a cylindrical turret head. The head has five different positions for positioning and rotation of the bobbins, and performs five different operations on the bobbins, each in the respective location;

FIG. 3 illustrates, partly in section, a device for accommodatin the bobbin to be processed, while the bobbin is on the conveyor chain of a coil winding machine;

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of such a bobbin accommodating device;

FIG. 5 comprises perspective views of four bobbins, at a, b, c, d, functioning in a manner somewhat similar to FIG. 1, but performing four different partial operations;

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate two different devices which check for the presence of the reserve winding at the tip of the bobbin core;

FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic front view of a bobbin winding machine provided with a turret device for performing the additional winding operations, and with a device for packaging the bobbins which have been processed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates schematically at a to h the different steps of operation to which the bobbins are subjected in a machine constructed according to FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic front view and FIG. 11 a top view of a modified device, somewhat similar to that of FIG. 8, for performing the additional winding operations, and for packaging the bobbins prior to further fabrication on other processing machines.

In FIG. 1, position a, is shown a bobbin S having a tubular core or quill C. The bobbin has been completely wound and is shown performing the first step of operation in accordance with the invention. To effect this, the bobbin is being rotated in a direction which is indicated by an arrow D. This is reverse to the direction of the preceding winding-up operation. At the same time, a suction nozzle N is located close to the conical end portion S of the bobbin. The nozzle opening extends along the conical portion, the free end of the yarn being pulled into the nozzle. After a certain length of yarn has entered the nozzle N, the direction of bobbin rotation is reversed, as indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 1, position b. Yarn guide G is now effective to assist in re-winding the yarn end out of the nozzle N and onto the rotating, protruding end of the core C. Thereafter, while the bobbin S is still rotating in the winding-up direction E, a feeler member (FIG. 1, position 0) engages and lightly touches or brushes against the wound-up yarn end on core C in order to check whether the bobbin contains the desired reserve winding on the core.

FIG. 2 illustrates one of the winding stations of a bobbin winding machine. FIG. 2 primarily illustrates the case where the main winding and the reserve winding are carried out on the same winding machine. The winding station comprises a turret head 1 which is rotatable in steps about its center so as to occupy five different operating positions, each for a predetermined interval of time. The winding station performs five sequential steps, in the respective turret position, in accordance with the method of the present invention. The yarn Y is coiled up on the uppermost spindle 2. After completion of the bobbin,

the turret rotates one-fifth of a full rotation in clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow F. The completed or wound bobbin S then enters into the active range of a suction nozzle 3 and the yarn seeking, winding-off and rewinding operations commence, as described above with reference to FIG. 1, positions a and b. Upon the further advance of the turret head or carrier 1, the bobbin S enters into the checking position where a feelcr member 4 is effective to test whether the desired reserve winding on the bobbin core has been produced, analogously to FIG. 1, position c. If that is not the case, the feeler 4 controls a discharging operation which causes the bobbin to be ejected into a receiving chute 5. The discharging operation is further described below. In the next following position of the turret 1, the completed bobbin is released and drops into the trough 6 of a conveyor chain or belt 7. The next following rotation of the turret head, through one-fifth of a full turn, places the now empty carrier spindle 2 into the receiving position where, manually or automatically, a new, usually empty, bobbin carrier or core 8 is supplied by means of a conveying member 9 here shown as a pivotally mounted manual or automatic arm 9. Any convenient, conventional mechanism can be used to turn the turret stepwise, such as a Geneva drive operated by a motor, as employed for a similar purpose in said application Serial No. 675,677. Simple manual or automatic means can be used to obtain the required direction of rotation of the individual spindles. For example, an indi vidual electric motor for each spindle 2 can be mounted upon the turret head, similar to motor 412 of FIG. 11, and manual or automatic reversing switches may be provided for each motor.

As mentioned above, a number of individual winding stations may be made to cooperate with a re-winding device common to all of these stations. The common rewinding device is then preferably mounted at the end of the multi-station winding machine. An endless conveyor belt then receives the completed bobbins from the individual winding stations and transports them to a windingoff, winding-up and a checking location. As also mentioned above, I have found it preferable to carry out an additional winding-up operation before commencing the winding-off operation so that any yarn ends not properly located or directed are first oriented in the desired manner. This results in the sequence of four operating steps schematically illustrated in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 5, position a, the free end of the yarn on bobbin S has the form of a hook or loop. While a bobbin is rotating in the winding-up direction according to arrow E, a brush or bristle-like or suction member M is effective to straighten the yarn end so that it will lie in the uniform and proper direction, against the body of the bobbin. This is done before the bobbin is subjected to the operating steps illustrated in FIG. 5, positions b, c and d. The latter corresponds to those described above with reference to FIG. 1, positions a, b, c respectively, constituting an unwinding step, a re-winding step, and a reserve winding feeling or sensing step.

In the turret-type device exemplified by FIG. 2, the bobbin remains located on one and the same carrier, that is, the turret head, as it travels from one operating position to the other. This is not the case with devices that carry out the method on bobbins coming from a plurality of winding stations. The latter type must be provided with special equipment which first receives and accommodates the individual bobbins and then imparts driving motion to the bobbins. Equipment suitable for this purpose is illustrated in FIG. 3.

According to FIG. 3 the bobbin S is seized between a spindle point 11 and a rotatable hollow cone 12 and is thereby slightly lifted out of a trough 13 for purposes described above and also below. A suction tube 14, whose nozzle slit is adapted to the conical shape of the last-wound end portion of the bobbin, scans the surface of this bobbin portion and then entrains and pulls the located yarn end wholly or partly into the nozzle opening. Due to the rotation of the bobbin, the yarn end is kept in form of a loop or on a straight line until the rotation has resulted in the entire yarn end being wound up in the proper direction. Immediately subsequent to this winding-up operation, which corresponds to FIG. 5, position a, the drive of the bobbin is reversed, according to FIG. 5, position b. Now the end of the yarn is sucked into the nozzle to a depth increasing with increasing duration of the reverse motion. For this purpose, the suction tube has a given or predetermined length so that it can receive a sufiicient amount of yarn, for instance of one meter length. The suction tube 14 may also be constructed as a telescopic conduit of variable length, such as conduit 512 in FIG. 10, in order to make the predetermined length of the tube, and consequently of the yarn length measured, adjustable. To assist the seizing and lifting of the bobbin, there may be provided additional lifting members 15 which pass through openings in the trough 15, with the effect that the bobbin, before being gripped by members 11 and 12, is brought into approximate centric position. A lever 16 is shown used for holding the hollow cone 12 and imparting a clamping pressure thereto. Lever 16 may be pressed toward member 11 by a spring or other device, not shown.

Instead of holding the bobbin in central position by means of point and cone members, it is also feasible to support and turn the bobbin by means of members positioned along its surface, as shown in FIG. 4. The bobbin is first placed onto two par-allel rollers 17 of which at least one is driven. Only one roller is shown. Stops 18 are provided at both frontal sides, or ends, of the bobbin, in order to prevent axial displacement of the bobbin.

With reference to FIG. 5, the individual three additional winding operations as Well as the checking operation have been explained above. FIG. 5 also illustrates a cutter 19 mounted between the suction nozzle N and the bobbin S when the latter is in the second winding-up position illustrated in FIG. 5, position 0. The cutter is actuated as soon as the predetermined length or the predetermined number of turns are wound up to form the reserve winding. The checking and smoothing member 20 of FIG. 5, position a, then presses lightly against the rotating core and thus tests the bobbin for presence of the reserve winding at the core tip. This checking member 20 (corresponding to member 4 in FIG. 2) may be constructed as a fiat positioning limb as illustrated in FIG. 5, position d, or it may terminate in any other suitable structure for lightly pressing or brushing against the yarn end portion of the bobbin while the bobbin is rotating in the windingup direction.

Further checking devices are illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. These devices are electrically controlled.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6 the checking device comprises two feelers 21 and 22 which are simultaneously brought into cont-act with the core tip. If there is a difference in height between the two points of engagement, a contact 23 on feeler 21 comes into electric engagement with a contact 24 on feeler 22. This closes an electric circuit which causes battery 250 to excite electromagnet 25. Armature 26 of the electromagnet actuates an angular lever 27, which removes a stop pawl 28, carried thereon, from a striker lever 29. The striker 29, when so released, cooperates with a cam 30 and is capable, under the action of a spring 31, of performing periodic striking motion in the direction of the bobbin axis. When, as described above, the electromagnet 25 is excited and releases the pawl 28 from the shorter arm of striker 29, then the striker hits against the core tip of the bobbin, and the bobbin, having been found to be standard by the feelers, is flung or pushed axially into a collecting container. On the other hand, bobbins which do not have the proper reserve winding and hence are sub-standard, will pass through the checking location and are conveyed into a container located at a difierent place. In FIG. 6 the bobbin S rests upon a conveyor, and is at least temporarily released or removed from supporting members 11 and 12. Obviously, the circuit can be changed to push out the sub-standard bobbins.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7 the operation is reversed as compared with that of FIG. 6. That is, bobbins which contain the proper reserve Winding will pass through the checking station, whereas bobbins that do not have the reserve winding are eliminated. Only one feeler member 22' (corresponding to feeler 4 in FIG. 2.) is used in the embodiment of FIG. 7. The arm 16, carrying rotatable cone 12, is pivoted at on frame 161. Extension 162 of arm 16 is pivotally linked to solenoid rod 26 of the electromagnet 25'. Arm 28, pivoted at 280 on frame 161, has an end lug 281 which cooperates with the lower end of extension 162. If no reserve winding is present the circuit is closed, which pivots arm 16 to the left, spring 31 pulling arm 28 upwardly. Catch end portion 281, on arm 28, can be positioned to hold arm 16, and pivot cone 12, in the extreme left, or open position, either manually or automatically.

FIG. 8 illustrates a device constructed according to the invention in combination with a multi-station coil winding machine 32. A conveyor belt 33 delivers the wound bobbins from the coil winding machine 32 into the auxiliary winding device. A bobbin passes onto turret head or carrier 34 at the position a. After switching the turret so that this bobbin is in position b, the bobbin is rotated in the same direction as during the winding-up operation in the machine 32, this being indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 9, position b. Vfhen the turret carries the bobbin to position 0, the bobbin is rotated in the opposite direction as shown by the arrow D in FIG. 9, position c. In the position d of the turret, the reserve yarn end is wound up at the predetermined spot, namely at the core tip, the bobbin being then rotated in the winding-up direction denoted by the arrow B in FIG. 9, position d. When the turret carries the bobbin to position e (FIG. 8) the checking operation takes place, with the effect that bobbins without reserve winding are eliminated and pass along the collecting slide 5 (FIG. 8) into a collecting container (not shown) for substandard bobbins. After the bobbin passes through the checking location in turret position e, the turret carries the bobbin to position 1 (FIG. 8), in which the bobbin leaves the turret. The bobbin then travels on the conveyor 35 toward a pusher 36. Pusher 36 is actuated by a continuously rotating cam 37 and passes the bobbin from the conveyor upwardly into a collecting container 38. Several of such collecting containers may be located one behind the other, the one being filled pushing against those in front of it and being substituted when filled by new and empty containers coming from above. It is to be understood that all of the compatible auxiliary devices of the other figures are to be employed in FIG. 8; for example, the yarn guide, brush, suction device, and yarn feeler mechanism.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11, the rotary turret mechanism shown in FIG. 8 is not employed. In its stead is employed an apparatus directly cooperating with the bobbin conveyor. This eliminates the charging operation into position a of FIGS. 8 and 9. The wound bobbins are immediately brought into the position b, in FIG. l0. In this type of machine, the rotating motion of the control cam 37 for pusher 36 is simultaneously employed to advance the conveyor chain or belt. This is accomplished through another cam 138 acting upon two pawls 39 and '49. Pawl 40 turns ratchet wheel 40!), to advance the conveyor 401. Cam 138 is coaxial with and rotates with cam 37. A double-armed lever 41 controlled by cam 38 acts through a linking rod 42 upon a cam piece 43, which in turn acts upon a lever 44. The lever 44 causes a set of four bobbin-holder spindles 11 to grip the bobbins firmly inside, whereby the bobbins are placed in rotation as described above. Each set of spindles is carried by a housing 411 containing a train of speed reducing or increasing gears (not shown) actuated by electric motor 412. The required individual or grouped sequential direct or reverse rotation of the spindles is obtained by any conventional manual or automatic reversing switch, or is fixed by the relationship of the gears in 411. To avoid unnecessary duplication and repetition, the yarn guide, brush, yarn take-off suction device, and reserve yarn end sensing mechanism are omitted in FIGS. and 11. The apparatus of these figures can perform both the main winding and the reserve winding forming operations. Preferably it can be used in conjunction with a separate main winding forming station. To obtain the correct length of yarn, the suction air channel may be made adjustable in position, by giving it the design or form of a telescopic or sliding-trombone linkage, as illustrated at 512 in FIG. 10. At a given spot of such a suction air channel, a cutter 511, 513 may be located which, from time to time, severs the end projecting beyond the so adjusted length. This cut-off end then follows the suction air stream into a collecting container, the yarn end located and held in the nozzle end being given a definite length by the cutting operation. In order to limit the length of the yarn end, a cutting device is provided which preferably includes a pivoted knife 511 arranged in a tubular portion of the suction nozzle 512 and preferably cooperating with an edge or" the tubular portion. A lever 513 is arranged to actuate the cutting knife 511. Details of this cutting device are further illustrated and described in my US. Patent No. 2,750,125. The apparatus 414 represents a conveying and feeding device for wound bobbins from a winding station 413. The winding station 413 may be of the rotary turret type provided with a multiplicity of bobbin holders, as described in said copending applications Ser. No. 675,677 and Ser. No. 675,758. However, the main winding op eration could be performed on an additional spindle positioned in advance of position b. In the apparatus shown, the bobbin is lifted off the conveyor into each of positions [1, c, d, e to perform the rotary motion required at each stage of the operations described above. Four arriving bobbins may be subjected simultaneously at the same location to the first winding-up operation, then to the subsequent unwinding operation, and immediately thereafter to the second winding-up operation, and checked simultaneously thereafter, all while temporarily lifted ofi the conveyor, by the spindle 11 and cone 12 or by auxiliary devices similar to that shown at 15 in FIG. 3. An alternative sequential procedure is to have the four bobbins, mentioned above by way of example, individually perform one of the above-mentioned operations at four different, immediately sequential locations so that each one of these operation steps is simultaneous with another one of the steps being performed with a different one of the four bobbins. In the machine illustrated in FIG. 11 the magazine 57 is supplied not from above but from the side as indicated by an arrow H in FIG. 11. The advancing movement of the magazine boxes 57 is effected by a feed lever 50 driven through a pusher rod 51. The pusher rod 51 has one end linked to the armature of an electromagnet 52 which, when excited, causes lifting of rod 51. The lifting motion causes a coupling pin 53 (FIG. 10) to enter into the entraining range of a cam lever 54. The energizing circuit of magnet 52 is closed by a pair of contacts 55, 5'6 as soon as an individual chamber of the bobbin magazine 57 is filled. The term carrier means as used herein includes not only a turret head but also other means for carrying the bobbins into a series of successive operating positions.

it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, upon a study of this disclosure, that my invention permits of various modifications and hence can be embodied in devices other than those particularly illustrated and described, without departing from the essential features of my invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

1 claim:

1. An apparatus for forming an end reserve yarn winding on and connected immediately to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a device for receiving, and for supporting and rotating the wound bobbin about its winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn unwinding end, a device which entrains said yarn end to unwind a given length thereof during rotation of the bobbin in yarn-unwinding direction, and positioning means which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, positions the yarn end to wind said given length in its entirety immediately onto a predeterr ined portion of the bobbin to form said reserve winding.

2. An apparatus for forming an end reserve yarn winding on and connected immediately to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a device for receiving, supporting and rotating the wound bobbin about its winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn unwinding end, a take-oil means which receives a predetermined length of said yarn end during rotation of the bobbin in yarn-unwinding direction, and positioning means which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, positions the yarn end to wind said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin.

3. An apparatus for forming an end reserve yarn winding on and connected immediately to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a device for receiving, supporting and rotating the wound bobbin about its winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn unwinding end, a suction take-off means which pulls off a predetermined length of said yarn end during rotation of the bobbin in yarn-unwinding direction, and guide means which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, guides the yarn end to wind said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin to form said reserve winding.

4. An apparatus for forming an end reserve yarn winding on and connected immediately to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a device for receiving, supporting and rotating the wound bobbin about its winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn unwinding end, a take-off means which receives a predetermined length of said yarn end during rotation of the bobbin in yarn-unwinding direction, positioning means which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, positions the yarn end to wind said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin, and a device between the take-off means and the reserve winding to sever the the yarn end.

5. An apparatus for forming an end reserve yarn winding on and connected immediately to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a device for receiving, supporting and rotating the wound bobbin about its winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn unwinding end, a suction take-oif means which pulls off a predetermined length of said yarn end during rotation of the bobbin in yarn-unwinding direction, guide means which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, places said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin to form said reserve winding, and a device between the take-elf means and the reserve winding to sever the yarn end.

6. An apparatus for forming a reserve yarn winding on and connected immediately to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a device for supporting and for rotating the wound bobbin about its winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarnunwinding end, means for placing a portion of said yarn end against the last-wound portion of the wound bobbin while the bobbin is turning in bobbin winding-up direction, suction means which pulls off said yarn end portion during rotation of the bobbin in yarn-unwinding direction, guide means which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, places the yarn end portion in its entirety immediately onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin to form said reserve winding, and a device to sever the yarn extending between the suction means and the formed reserve winding.

7. An apparatus for forming a reserve yarn winding on and connected to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a device for supporting and for rotating the wound bobbin about its winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn-unwinding end, means for placing a portion of said yarn end against the last-wound portion of the wound bobbin while the bobbin is turning in bobbin windingup direction, suction means which pulls off said yarn end during rotation of the bobbin in yarn-unwinding direction, guide means which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direetion, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, places the yarn end onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin to form said reserve winding, and a device to sever the yarn extending between the suction means and the formed reserve winding, said suction means comprising telescoping conduits, to permit adjustment of the length thereof, knife means pivotally mounted within one of said conduits, and lever means for actuating said knife means to cut the yarn to said adjusted length.

8. An apparatus for forming a reserve yarn winding on and connected immediately to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a turret head mounted for rotation about its axis into a series of successive operating positions, means carried by the turret head for supporting at least one wound bobbin spaced from the turret axis, means for rotating a wound bobbin, while supported by the turret head, about its yarn-winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn-unwinding end, means adjacent one of said operating positions for pulling off a predetermined length of said yarn end while the bobbin rotates about its axis in yarn-unwinding direction, means adjacent a second operating position which means, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, places said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin to form said reserve winding.

9. An apparatus for forming a main yarn winding and a reserve yarn Winding on a bobbin, said apparatus comprising a movable carrier device for supporting and for rotating the bobbin about its winding axis, the carrier being mounted for movement carrying the bobbin into a series of successive operating locations, the bobbin being successively turned in one direction to form the main winding, turned in the opposite direction to permit the pulling off of a predetermined length of yarn, and again turned in the original direction to form the reserve winding, means adjacent one of said locations for pulling off said length of yarn, and means adjacent another one of said locations for placing the entire predetermined length of said yarn end of said main winding immediately onto a predetermined location of the bobbin to form said reserve winding.

10. An apparatus for forming a reserve yarn winding on and connected to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a carrier means mounted for stepwise movement into a series of successive operating positions, means carried by the carrier means for supporting at least one wound bobbin thereon, means for rotating a wound bobbin, while supported by said carrier means, about its yarn-winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn-unwinding end, means adjacent one of said operating positions for pulling oif said yarn end during rotation of the bobbin about its axis in yarn-unwinding direction, means adjacent a second operating position which means, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, places the yarn end onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin to form said reserve winding, means adjacent a third operating position to sense whether the reserve winding has been properly formed and positioned, and to eject the sub-standard bobbins from the carrier means, means adjacent a fourth operating position to discharge standard bobbins, and means adjacent a fifth operating position for supplying the carrier means with bobbins.

11. A method for preparing a bobbin having a main yarn-winding, for further fabrication of the bobbined yarn, in which method a reserve winding is formed on the core of the bobbin, which reserve Winding is joined immediately to the main winding thereon, comprising rotating the bobbin in a direction opposite to the winding-up direction of said main winding, winding off the bobbin in a radial direction during such rotation a pre determined length of the free yarn end of the main winding thereon, and thereafter guiding and re-winding said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto the bobbin core at a predetermined location not coin: ciding with the one from which the yarn end was wound ofi, to form the reserve winding.

12. A method for preparing a bobbin having a main yarn Winding, for further fabrication of the bobbined yarn, in which method a reserve winding is formed on the bobbin and immediately connected to the main winding thereon, comprising severing the yarn end of the main winding from the yarn supply and rotating the bobbin in a direction opposite to the winding-up direction of said main winding, winding off the bobbin in a radial direction during such rotation a predetermined short length of the yarn end portion, and thereafter rotating the bobbin in the winding-up direction of said main winding and again winding said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto the bobbin at a predetermined location not coinciding with the one from which the yarn end was wound off, to form the reserve winding.

13. A method for preparing a bobbin having a main yarn winding, for further fabrication of the bobbined yarn, in which method a reserve winding is formed on the tip of the core of the bobbin, which reserve winding is immediately joined to the main winding thereon, comprising first winding the main winding on the bobbin, severing the yarn from the yarn supply, rotating the bobbin in a direction opposite to the winding-up direction of said main winding, winding oti the'bobbin in a radial direction during such rotation a predetermined length of the free end portion of the yarn wound thereon, guiding the wound-01f yarn to the tip of the core, and thereafter rotating the bobbin in the winding-up direction of said main winding and winding said predetermined length immediately onto the said tip to form a reserve winding containing a predetermined quantity of yarn.

14. A method for preparing a bobbin having a main yarn winding and a reserve yarn winding on a bobbin core, the windings being immediately joined, the reserve Winding being on an end portion of the core, comprising rotating said core in winding-up direction while feeding a yarn thereto to form the main winding, severing the yarn from the yarn supply, brushing against the yarn end portion of the bobbin while the bobbin is rotating in winding-up direction, thereafter rotating the core in the opposite direction a predetermined number of revolutions while pulling ed the core a predetermined length of the 1 1 free end portion of the severed yarn, resuming rotation of the bobbin in winding-up direction and guiding the yarn end portion immediately across the bobbin surface toward an end portion of the core to form a reserve winding containing a predetermined quantity of yarn.

15. A method for preparing a bobbin comprising winding a yarn on a bobbin core from a yarn supply, the winding being done at a winding location, to form a major winding thereon, severing the yarn end of the major winding from the yarn supply, conveying the wound bobbin from the winding location to a receiver, and, during said conveying, winding off the bobbin a predetermined short length of the yarn end portion, and thereafter and also during the conveying, winding said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto the bobbin core at a predetermined iocation not coinciding with the one from which the yarn end was wound 011, to form a reserve winding utilizable in subsequent yarn fabrication operations.

16. An apparatus system for continuously preparing a series of bobbins having a major main and a minor reserve winding immediately connected to each other across the surface of the bobbin, comprising a main winding apparatus having a multiplicity of winding stations, an apparatus for conveying the wound bobbins from a plurality of said winding stations, and an auxiliary apparatus positioned to receive the wound bobbin from the conveying apparatus, the auxiliary apparatus forming a reserve yarn winding on and immediately connected to the yarn on the previously wound bobbin, said auxiliary apparatus comprising a device for supporting and for rotating the wound bobbin about its winding axis, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn-unwinding end, means for placing a portion of the yarn end against the last-wound portion of the wound bobbin while the bobbin is turned in bobbin winding-up direction in said auxiliary apparatus, a suction means which pulls off said yarn end portion during rotation of the bobbin in yarn-unwinding direction, guide means which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin-winding direction, places the yarn end portion in its entirety immediately onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin not coinciding with the one from which the yarn was pulled off, to form said reserve winding.

17. A method for preparing a plurality of bobbins each with a major main winding and a minor reserve winding situated on the tip of its bobbin core and joined immediately to the main winding, comprising first winding a plurality of bobbins each at one of a plurality of winding locations to form the main winding on each, conveying the plurality of wound bobbins to a common reserve winding operation in which the plurality of bobbins are simultaneously subjected to the following sequential operations: rotating each bobbin in a direction opposite to the wind-up direction of its major main winding, Winding off each bobbin in a radial direction during such rotation a predetermined length of the free yarn end of the winding thereon, and thereafter rotating the bobbin in the winding-up direction of said main winding and again winding said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto the bobbin core at a predetemined location not coinciding with the one from which the yarn end was wound off, to form the reserve winding.

18. A method forpreparing a plurality of bobbins each having a main yarn winding and a reserve winding formed on the core of the bobbin, which reserve winding is immediately joined to the main winding, comprising first winding a plurality of bobbins simultaneously each at one of a plurality of winding locations to form the main winding on each, conveying the plurality of bobbins sequentially to another winding operation, rotating each bobbin in a direction opposite to the winding-up direction of its major main Winding, winding otf each bobbin in a radial direction during such rotation a length of the free yarn end of the main winding thereon, and thereafter ro- 12?; tating the bobbin in the winding-up direction of said main Winding and re-winding said length immediately onto the bobbin core at a predetermined location not coinciding with the one from which the yarn end was wound off, to form the reserve winding.

19. A method for preparing a bobbin having a main yarn-winding, for further fabrication of the bobbined yarn, in which method a reserve winding is formed on the core of the bobbin, which reserve winding is immediately connected to the main winding thereon to form a yarn end portion of predetermined length, comprising winding off the bobbin a determined number of turns of yarn of the main winding thereon, and thereafter rewinding said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto the bobbin core at a predetermined location not coinciding with the one from which the yarn end was wound off, to form the reserve winding, and severing the yarn end remaining upon completion of the re-winding operation.

20. A method for preparing a bobbin having a main yarn-winding, for further fabrication of the bobbined yarn, in which method a reserve winding is formed on the core of the bobbin, which reserve winding is immediately connected to the main winding thereon, comprising winding off the bobbin a determined number of turns of yarn of the main winding thereon to form a yarn end portion of predetermined length, and thereafter re-winding said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto the bobbin core at a predetermined location not coinciding with the one from which the yarn end was wound 01?, to form the reserve winding, the length of the yarn to be re-wound being determined by severing the excessive length prior to the re-winding operation.

21. A process for preparing a bobbin having a main yarn winding, for further fabrication of the bobbined yarn, in which method a reserve winding is formed on the core of the bobbin, which reserve winding is immediately connected to the main winding thereon, comprising winding off the bobbin a predetermined length of the yarn end of the main winding thereon by sucking off the winding while the bobbin rotates in winding-0E direction, and thereafter re-winding and guiding said predetermined length in its entirety immediately onto the bobbin core at a predetermined location not coinciding with the one from which the yarn end was wound 01f, to form the reserve winding.

22. An apparatus for forming a reserve yarn winding on and connected to the yarn on a wound bobbin, said apparatus comprising a carrier conveyor mounted for movement into at least one operation location, means for supporting a wound bobbin and for rotating it about its yarn-winding axis at said location, the yarn on the wound bobbin having a yarn-unwinding end, means adjacent the conveyor for pulling off said yarn end during rotation of the bobbin about its axis in yarn-unwinding direction, which, during rotation of the bobbin in the opposite direction, namely the bobbin winding-up direction, places the yarn end onto a predetermined portion of the bobbin to form said reserve winding, means to sense whether the reserve winding has been properly formed and positioned, and to reject the sub-standard bobbins, means to discharge standard bobbins, and means for supplying the carrier conveyor with bobbins.

23. The apparatus defined in claim 22 and means for lifting the bobbins off the carrier conveyor operative when the wound bobbin arrives at said location.

1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,657,867 Furst NOV. 3, 1953 2,670,150 Perry et al. Feb. 23, 1954 2,675,971 Abbott Apr. 20, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 53,411 Switzerland Oct. 15, 1910 

